thehistoryofmanrpfandomcom-20200213-history
Canaanite Empire
The Canaanite Empire is a Mediterranean multi-national state with heavy emphasis on its naval power and trade. Government The Canaanite Empire is unique among other nations in that it is not a monarchy, but a republic. Canaan uses a wealth-based system to apportion votes, whereby one upper class vote is worth two middle class or four lower class votes. In order to vote, you must be a citizen. To become a citizen, someone must be a tax-paying, male resident of the Empire for seventeen years and you must have served two year's compulsory service in the navy. The Government has two separate branches: an executive and a legislative. The legislative branch consists of the Council of One-Hundred and One, a group of elected noblemen and aristocrats that meet to make laws. In addition, the council elects three different executive officials, each with control over one his own field of expertise. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Internal Affairs, and the Minister of the Military each exert a balancing force upon the other two. History In the year 209 AD, a city named Ceuta was founded on the northern tip of Morocco by former Rylonians, exiled on suspicions of treason against the governor of a province. Over two centuries, the small city grew and grew, becoming an ever-larger beacon of trade in the Mediterranean. Almost three hundred years later, Shopet (King) Mago I ascended to the throne after the death of his father from poisoning. It has never been proven, but it is widely thought, that he ordered this to be done. Mago's cunning and ambition were surpased only by his cruelty; imposing his Draconian rule, he punished even the smallest signs of dissent. He is said to have organized fights between peasants just for the fun of it, arming two men and having them attempt to kill each other for their own survival. But Mago was not content with rule of only one city, and so he set his eye upon the neighboring lands of Morocco and Hispania. Drawing a conscript army from the lower classes, he marched upon the neighboring city of Tangier. A bloody battle ensued, which lasted for three days. Eventually, Mago won through sheer brutality; by continuing to attack the enemy's center, he eventually broke through and forced the enemy to surrender. Thousands of young men lay dead, their lives cut short by the bloodthirsty king's desire for more. Soon, Hispania was invaded, and the southern tip was annexed. A fleet was built, and Mago sailed to the east to continue his conquests; the Tunisian and Algerian coasts, and then Libya and southern Turkey. But this is not the end of the Shopet's story. The king wanted yet more. He invaded Egypt, but this time, he found something different waiting for him; Rather than a small city-state, an entire kingdom stood in his path. Having his poorly-armored troops advance over open ground on the enemy flanks, he managed to encircle and destroy the enemy, but at great cost; many of his men were killed by skirmshers. The opposing army retreated further and further into the desert. As Mago's men died of thirst and heat, he became weaker and weaker, until he was forced to retreat. Over twenty-thousand men were lost in his wars of conquest. He returned to an angry and unhappy populace. The peasants were angry at having lost so many of their own in the wars, and the upper classes had shouldered much of the financial burden of the fighting in the form of higher taxes. Soon, Mago was killed and a republic was proclaimed. Today, that republic still stands, and is allied with Ardovicia, and at war with the Rylonian Empire. Economy Canaan is a trading power, controlling many strategic points and bases along the Mediterranean coast, as well as a manufacturing power, to a lesser extent. Canaan's capital of Ceuta, as well as the Canaanite land to the north of it, is in the perfect geographic position to control exit to the Mediterranean. In order to sail through the Strait of Gibraltar, ships must pay a tax directly proportional to the worth of the goods found on board. However, if the boat's owner is a citizen, he may pay a slightly reduced rate. In addition, merchants have developed a technique to avoid one of the risks associated with trade. Usually, a shipwreck could make a merchant lose all his wealth overnight, along with his source of income. However, an insurance business has popped up, accepting small monthly donations in return for a payment of gold, should a ship somehow be lost. Of all the nations, only Canaan currently knows the method of producing specific bright red and green dyes, which, rather than fading, turn more vibrant when exposed to sunlight. Due to their beauty and rarity, these dyes command a high price on the market, fetching many sales from nobility worldwide. Mining is the third most important part of the Carthaginian economy. Hispania is rich in metals, meaning that the production of iron is an abundant industry in those areas. However, the small areas of Iberiacontrolled by Canaan mean that this cannot contribute as much to the economy as trade or dye manufaturing. Finally, there is agriculture. This, too, is a niche industry. The fertile land surrounding some North African colonies is productive, but the fact that Canaan, for the most part, only owns cities used as trading posts, rather than large rural areas suitable for farming, means that food production is limited and most crops are imported. Military Canaan has a very small army, consisting of only a few thousand soldiers mostly used to keep the peace, or militia to protect from possible raids. However, large mercenary forces are hired during times of war. The navy is the pride of the nation. Consisting of hundreds upon hundreds of well-built ships led by expertly trained naval officers, the navy stands ready to defend Canaan and her interests. Regular patrols make the Mediterranean a safer place. The navy uses a combination of large ships, used for ramming; a few medium ships, used for boarding; and small ships, filled to the brim with archers and used for skirmishing or setting enemies ablaze with fire arrows. Statistics Name: Population: Language: Leader: Founded: Demonym: Currency: